Kanan and company ramp up for a rescue mission as Star Wars Rebels begins last batch of episodes

The beginning of the end … Star Wars Rebels returns this Monday with the first of six new episodes that comprise the last part of its fourth and final season.

“Jedi Night” and “DUME” are the episodes in the first one-hour block, airing 9 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on Disney XD; after they air, they’ll also be available from 10 p.m. Pacific on the DisneyNOW app and website. Here we present a clip from the first episode.

After the midseason finale, Alliance General Hera Syndulla is in Imperial captivity on Lothal after a Rebel attempt to gain a foothold on the occupied planet, and destroy a new TIE Defender prototype, came crashing down.

As teased in the new trailer, Emperor Palpatine makes his series debut in these final Rebels episodes — voiced by actor Ian McDiarmid, who reprises this iconic role from the Star Wars live-action films (after the actor previously sat out The Clone Wars).

There’s a lot to wrap up in addition to the Sith Lord’s sudden interest in Ezra Bridger, as Rebels marches towards the existing continuity of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope. And it all leads up to the March 5 series finale.

If you enjoy the “Jedi Night” clip, here are some sneak-peek images from that episode and “DUME” to whet your appetite.